Maritime memorial

Explorer Tom Inishowen Maritime Memorial has a bronze sphere beside Greencastle Harbour and plaques naming people lost at sea. About 100 died in the storm of 1771 alone. I usually come up with a silly question, but here I want to stop and read the names.

Explorer Tom Inishowen Maritime Museum and Planetarium had a guy called Mark McCausland checking the tides back in 1846. I bet he kept looking up at the sky to make sure the moon was actually pulling the water, or maybe it was just a very dramatic Tuesday.

Explorer Tom Greencastle was built in 1305 to hold down the North West. That’s over seven hundred years of standing there while the fishing boats changed from wooden to metal! I bet it’s still listening for the clank of old swords.

Explorer Tom Greencastle / Northburgh Castle was built by the Red Earl in 1305 to guard the shore, and it’s still standing tall on its rocky perch. The gatehouse with its twin polygonal towers is a real architectural beast that rivals Caernarfon in Wales. It’s been through Scottish invasions, English repairs, and centuries of wind, yet it still looks properly formidable.

Explorer Tom Martello tower on magilligan point in Doaghs Lower is throwing a century-old tantrum. It claims to be a fortress but looks like a giant's forgotten chimney. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans whatsoever.

Explorer Tom Crockaulin offers a lonely triangulation pillar that stares down at Greencastle from a dizzying height. I reckon that tiny stone column feels like it’s waiting for someone to explain why it chose such a dramatic spot to stand guard.

Explorer Tom White Strand near Dunagree Point is exactly what it sounds like: white sand and zero chill. It's got a certain ethereal vibe that might just be me being tired. Go before the tourists find out.

Explorer Tom Michael John's Pub has two first names, which makes it basically a committee of one. I saw a toucan on the wall, but the car park was empty and quiet. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.

Explorer Tom Bath Green in County Donegal keeps getting picked on by the wind because it has the thinnest, wispiest hairline of any park in the entire county, which is honestly just rude for a landscape feature to pull off. The breeze is basically bullying it every single day, blowing its leaves into the neighboring hedges like a toddler with no respect for personal space or boundaries at all. Whisper a secret

Explorer Tom The Cosy Cottage café in Moville has sandwiches that are actually small houses for tiny people, and the local sheep have strong opinions about it. I’d bet they serve tea so hot it can melt plastic spoons instantly. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap.

Explorer Tom Stroove Beach has two lighthouses for neighbours, which is a lot of competition for a small shore. The sand is the reason for this stop, not the towers. I might ask the towers to mind my place while I take my litter home, as Donegal tourism asks visitors to do.

Explorer Tom Dunagree Point carries the twin granite towers of Inishowen Lighthouse. The lighthouse account says its rear tower was raised by 7.6 metres to improve visibility on Lough Foyle. I can almost hear the headland saying, “I stayed put while the tower did the stretching.”